10 significant bands in the Ukrainian Grindcore
With this publication, we are starting a series of materials on the development of various underground musical genres in Ukraine. Let's start with the grindcore, that has carefully studied (and indeed has been doing this for more than a year already) Olexandr Bilous, creator of the public Good Guys Go Grind.
Grindcore is not a very new style, it originates from shaggy 80s. I can not even imagine how the ordinary public reacted to the gangs of that time because at one time such style was very extreme and fresh. But the years went by, the genre transformed, acquired new fans and spread around. It, like an epidemic, penetrated the minds of young people through branded compacts, rewritten cassettes through a million times, through talking about something harder than Cannibal Corpse and Immortal.
I bet many of you think that we started "making noise" only after 00, but this is far from being the case. Back in the early 90s, a small group of enthusiasts began to spread records and play something similar. Since then, more than 20 years have passed, during which much has changed, certain bands have disappeared, but a lot has been created and new ones.
I will try to tell you a little about the beginning and current state of grindcore (and its derivatives) in Ukraine today. I selected 10 of the most significant, in my opinion, collectives of our country for this journey into history. So...
Pichismo
Tsyurupinsk city (now Oleshki), distant 93rd year. Quite an experimental band, in the work of which one feels the influence of the old hardcore punk, Anal Cunt and Meat Shits. The peculiarity of this band is that all songs were performed by artificial languages, such as Esperanto, Volapuk, Ido, Klingon, and others. In my memory, this is the first heavy Ukrainian band, which issued vinyl and made a split with a foreign collective (Unholy Grave). Through the years, the musicians changed several countries, but their starting point was in Ukraine.
Septicos Morbus
Kyiv, 1994 year. This band lasted only for a year, left behind a few demo tapes and a bunch of memories. The music of this band was rather strange - grindcore, to which many other genres were added. Their noise reminded me of Japanese CSSO and Germans WBI.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find digitized recordings of a band, or at least a cassette, so you can listen to what was found in the VK, probably a record of the band’s performance..
Epicrise
Perhaps the most famous grind band in our country. But few people know that they began their journey back in the 95th year! Around 2000, a stable line-up was formed, with which many great concerts were played and the debut album "Twin'$ Contrac€ption" (2008) was recorded. Over time, the band headed for a more socially oriented grindcore (listen to the split with the Vulvulator). Also, the men from Lysytchansk visited Europe with a small tour, after which the band began to change its lineup again. Their fate is unknown for now.
Necrocannibalistic Vomitorium
This strange band was found on September 3, 2001. Drum and bass grind with funny rhythms and crazy vocals. Interestingly, this duet (now there are two of them) did not neglect to experiment with other genres (listen to at least the album "Gorki-X", 2010). And also this unit from Zaporizhia differs among all other bands in the presence of a girl bass player.
For 17 years of existence, crazy vandals have given a huge pile of perverted material, so anyone will find something to their liking.
Ebanath
2003 year, Berdyansk. It is difficult to describe the work of this team because the guys did not neglect to mix hardcore, grindcore, death metal and other styles. And although the sound was more metallic, they still had more from the grindcore than from the metal. I must note that this is a very peculiar band, the texts of which covered topics such as pornography, death, war, etc..
Foible Instinct
Veterans of the Ukrainian grindcore scene. These guys started their journey back in 2006. They are fans of Napal Death and the Terroriser, and this is very much felt in their songs. After a successful demo "Kill Your Emotion" (2008), a band implemented a number of splits, including collaboration with Canadians Archagathus. Over time, the music of Foible Instinct accelerated and became more aggressive. It is also worth noting the tribute to the work of "Grindcore Superstar" (2014), which they dedicated to the memory of the late leader of the Nasum band Meshko Talchik.
Unfortunately, in the 10th year of life, it was decided to dissolve the band. But their business still lives today, under the name Warningfog. The former members of Foible Instinct play in this chapel, but the music is different: in the fresh project, the guys interfere with the traditional grindcore with sludge and other genres. Time will tell whether Warningfog can fully take the lead on our stage.
Vulvulator
Also 2006, the year, but already Uzhgorod. Three buddies have created something really nasty and perverted. Cheerful mountains with death metal tinge (this is especially reflected in the sound of the guitar) and porn themes. Interesting fact: for their debut album "Obscenario" (2007), they chose a photo by Leonard Nimoy (played Spock in Star Trek) and published it on the famous German label Rotten Roll Rex. Time forced these guys to reconsider their approach to music, so the last recordings of the band were already made in a more traditional mountain style and sounded more mature. In the fall of 2009, a decision was made to dissolve the band.
Зомбі їдять Моїх Сусідів (Zombies eat My Neighbors)
The band was formed in 2007 in the town of Borodyanka in the Kyiv region. The main driving force of this team is the desire to play what they like the most. Guys never bother with the stylistic framework, so their music is full of lots of experiments. Here you have thrash, hardcore, grindcore, and some metal. With the changes in the composition, the music of the ЗЇМС became harder and more extreme, the rhythms accelerated, notes of sludge appeared and the grindcore took root in their songs.
Gaz-66 Intrusion
Years of activity - 2009-2012. After the collapse of the Vulvulator, several participants decided to create a fastcore/grindcore band, so Gaz-66 was formed. Powerful, like an old Soviet truck, this band quickly gained the attention of our listeners. In the first demo "Death tomorrow" (2009), the social themes intertwined tightly with fast rhythms and raw sound. The band was promising and, I should note, the guys did their best. The first EP "Power without violence" (2011) was published on the legendary 625 Thrash, and the split and Sidetracked was published by the very old and respected German company Regurgitated Semen Records. Guys left 4 releases and a good memory after them.
Skruta
The last band on my list. Formed by friends from The Symbioz/Displease and Gaz-66 Intrusion, this band was well remembered by me for its debut demo of 2010. The boys play uncompromising grindcore, in which they intelligently combine the old and the new school. The team distinguished themselves with concerts all over Ukraine, as well as in the capital of Hungary. There are not as many records in Skruta as I would like, but one of the best for me is their vinyl split with Total Fucking Destruction, Coffin Birth, Insomnia Isterica (2016). Now the band is on a long vacation, I really hope that the guys will revive their activities in the near future..
Unfortunately, there are not so many active bands, but all this is because the grindcore was never a fashionable style, there was never any money here. This style can not be played from the start, because the grindcore is a projection of your inner world, all the energy and flow comes directly from you. But I am sure that in the near future we will see not one new band and even a thematic festival!
Additional materials:
I highly recommend self-study the following bands and labels that existed/exist on the territory of our country:
- War-Whore - Year 96, crazy cyber grind, noise;
- Grindfather - 2003, then the band mutated in Ebanath, but this project was focused more on the old grindcore;
- Pussy Grinder - 2003 - 2007, a very funny and peculiar gang, interfered with pornography with everything in the world;
- Painful Defloration - A band from Mariupol, which began its journey in 2006, issued a number of releases (including split with Agathocles) in the grind style, the fate of this band is unknown;
- Getcold - powerviolence band from Kyiv, was active in 2013 - 2015;
- From Alcohol To Destruction - Fastcore band from Odessa, founded around 2013, is still active;
- F.I.D.O. - 2013-2014, a project that interfered with grindcore with a wacky violence;
- Displease - Crust band from Uzhgorod, began its journey back in 2009;
- Deathbiter - powerful thrashcore/grind/hardcore from Kyiv, this band originates from the end of 2009, is currently inactive;
- Rapekit - Pornogrind band, active for many years (or more precisely since 2011), all songs are based on sexual perversions, and the music is simple and very funny, it is recommended to watch "live";
- Fecality - A band from Chernihiv cuts a magical mix of dancing grindcore, there are since 2011;
- Freshcut - Socially oriented mountains with pigskvil vocals, originally created in the city of Luhansk, now the guys are based in Kyiv;
- Malad - A band from Kyiv, roars since 2010. Almost the only noise band in the open spaces of our country.
Labels:
This article is part of a series of materials on the development of various underground musical genres in Ukraine. Early in the series:
https://www.neformat.com.ua/rubrika/10-znakovih-gurtiv
Cover - Anastasia Inri
